Debating is a part of life that everyone exercises daily, but most people don’t realize they are doing it. Something as simple as discussing what to eat, when to be home, or which answer is better for a school-related question can involve an element of debate. At Milford High School, the debate club was established to enhance students’ argumentative skills.
For the longest time, the debate club didn’t run because there weren’t enough participants. Now, student presidents Sophomore Kristin Stanley and Sophomore Caraline Brennan, along with English Teacher and Club Leader Morgan Selke, reformed the debate club to encourage students to help develop their debate skills.
“I’m really excited to start debating against other schools, seeing everyone work with their partners, and them finding what they like to do and developing their skills,” Brennan said.
Debate has many important aspects that can help a person grow not just as a debater, but as a speaker and as a person. Debate involves elements such as public speaking, research, understanding multiple perspectives on an argument, and more. This is important because public speaking is a necessary skill that will be used in many factors of life, including many career opportunities. Additionally, understanding the proper way to research and find reliable information is crucial in both the academic and professional worlds. All of these skills are practiced and grown upon in the debate club.
“Doing debate allows students to learn to find proper sources, check those sources, and help grow critical thinking skills that are needed to form an argument,” Selke said. Senior Gavin Hess said that the club works well with students who are interested in business and are involved with clubs like DECA.
“Debate helps you understand the viewpoint and get some empathy for other people, and it also helps your argumentative skills with expressing your own viewpoints,” he said. It also helps you understand what other people are saying and express what you want to say. Debate is undoubtedly important, but practicing it is difficult to do alone, and that is why the club was created.
With the debate club beginning, members have already begun enjoying multiple aspects of the club’s content. For example, Brennan stated, “I can hang out with my friends while also having fun, but also serious arguments, and being able to explore new topics while learning new ones to debate about.” Similarly, as stated by Stanley, “I like public speaking and having conversations with others, with how our opinions can vary. It’s a good way to interact with others and to reach out.” Hess shared a similar opinion, “I like hearing other people’s arguments, whether it’s something I agree with or something I don’t. I like finding ways that others argue to either use or apply the experience later, as it gives more depth of knowledge in different topics.”
As club meetings continue, Selke says her favorite part of the entire club is “How excited everyone is and how everyone has such strong arguing skills.” In general, students in the debate club are having lots of fun and are equally excited about what lies ahead.
While the debate club is at the start of its journey, it has a long and exhilarating path ahead. As students prepare to begin competing, goals have already been set. As a team, Stanley and Brennan intend to do the best they can in their competitions. As Stanley said, “I really want to go to some state-wide or even national competitions; I feel like we have the people to go that far.” Additionally, as Brennan said, “Based on the first meeting, I think everyone is going to do pretty well; everyone seems very interested in the club and will put a lot of effort into it.” The students aren’t the only ones who are excited. Selke is also looking forward to seeing how the students grow: “Everyone seems very interested in the club, and I’m excited to see everyone learn and grow with their debate skills.”
Beyond the debate club, there are opportunities to expand debate in other aspects of school. As Selke stated, “A debate class is in the works.” In the past, there was a debate club, and now, the class could come back and count as an English credit. The class would help students learn more about debate styles and research techniques while offering students mock exercises and argumentation processes. For now, while the debate class is in the hypothetical making, it is still possible to join the debate club. At any point during the school year, you can email Selke at [email protected], saying you want to join, or simply show up to one of the debate meetings, which take place in room 301.
Overall, the revival of the debate club marks an exciting new chapter for students who want to strengthen their voices, challenge their thinking, and build confidence in and beyond the classroom. With passionate leaders, supportive guidance from Selke, and a growing group of dedicated members, the club is already cultivating skills that will benefit them for years to come. Debate can even give students an edge in college admissions and is also linked to higher college-graduation rates. As competitions approach and the possibility of a full debate class grows, the future of debate at Milford looks bright. For any student hoping to grow as a speaker, thinker, or teammate, now is the perfect time to get involved.